Carnegie Institution

Carnegie Institution

"Beginning in 1895, Andrew Carnegie contributed his vast fortune toward the establishment of 22 organizations that today bear his name and carry on work in such fields as art, education, international affairs, peace, and scientific research.

"In 1901, Andrew Carnegie retired from business to begin his career in philanthropy. Among his new enterprises, he considered establishing a national university in Washington,D.C., similar to the great centers of learning in Europe. Because he was concerned that a new university could weaken existing institutions, he opted for a more exciting, albeit riskier, endeavor—an independent research organization that would increase basic scientific knowledge.

"Carnegie contacted President Theodore Roosevelt and declared his readiness to endow the new institution with $10 million. He added $2 million more to the endowment in 1907, and another $10 million in 1911...

"Today, Carnegie scientists continue to be at the forefront of scientific discovery. Working in six scientific departments on the East and West Coasts, Carnegie investigators are leaders in the fields of plant biology, developmental biology, earth and planetary sciences, astronomy, and global ecology. They seek answers to questions about the structure of the universe, the formation of our solar system and other planetary systems, the behavior and transformation of matter when subjected to extreme conditions, the origin of life, the function of genes, and the development of organisms from single-celled egg to adult.

"The Carnegie Institution is headquartered in Washington,D.C., Richard A. Meserve serves as president."

Trustees
Accessed March 2008:

Senior Trustees
 * Remi Barbier
 * Daniel N. Belin
 * John C. Botts
 * Michael Brin
 * Tom Cori
 * John F. Crawford
 * Michael Duffy
 * W. Gary Ernst
 * Sandra M. Faber
 * Bruce W. Ferguson
 * Stephen Fodor
 * William Gayden
 * Michael E. Gellert
 * Robert G. Goelet
 * William R. Hearst III
 * Suzanne Nora Johnson
 * Mary-Claire King
 * Steve McKnight
 * Jaylee Mead
 * Deborah Rose
 * Maxine F. Singer
 * Christopher T.S. Stone
 * William I.M. Turner, Jr.
 * Euan Baird
 * William T. Coleman
 * Gerald D. Laubach
 * Burton J. McMurtry
 * John D. Macomber
 * Frank Press
 * William J. Rutter
 * David S. Swensen
 * Thomas N. Urban
 * Sidney J. Weinberg, Jr.

Trustees Emeriti
 * Edward E. David, Jr.
 * Richard E. Heckert
 * Kazuo Inamori
 * Robert C. Seamans, Jr.
 * Charles H. Townes

Contact

 * Web: http://www.ciw.edu

Related Sourcewatch articles

 * John Campbell Merriam - former president